Riverside County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Riverside County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
City Council Election Campaign Spending
Riverside’s four city council candidates have already spent nearly $600,000 combined for two seats, and the funding trail is now public. If you care who’s bankrolling your local reps, this is your chance to look.
LAFCO Staff Salary Adjustments
A market study found most LAFCO staff salaries below comparable agencies, so the commission updated pay ranges for seven positions to recruit and retain staff. Actual raises need county sign-off in November.
Public Meetings
The commission considered changing when it meets each month — a scheduling change that affects when residents can attend and comment.
Norco Bluff Street islands annexation (LAFCO 2026-05-2)
Two uninhabited islands totaling 56 acres near Bluff Street would annex into Norco and detach from the county waste district. A decision is expected around March.
Domestic Violence Awareness and Services
The Board proclaimed Domestic Violence Awareness Month, hearing that local law enforcement received over 7,200 domestic violence calls in 2022 and that only about a third of incidents are ever reported.
Flock License Plate Reader Surveillance
Idyllwild residents say the Flock camera network surrounds their community with warrantless surveillance and are petitioning the county to cancel contracts and ban ALPRs in unincorporated areas.
Safe Sleep and SIDS Awareness
Public Health, First 5, and DPSS teamed up on a safe-sleep awareness campaign after an alarming rise in sleep-related infant deaths, urging parents to keep babies on firm surfaces and out of adult beds.
Stephens' Kangaroo Rat Mitigation Fee Increase
RCTC wants to buy and preserve environmental mitigation land before projects hit permit deadlines, instead of scrambling later when credits are scarce and expensive. The San Timoteo Canyon site shows the model working.
Commuter rail station and toll facility landscape maintenance
A $420,000 boost keeps the nine Metrolink stations and toll facilities maintained through December 2026, covering storm cleanup, vandalism repairs, and rising material costs.
Legal Fee Reimbursement
Sheriff Chad Bianco wants taxpayers to foot his legal bills for four lawsuits related to an election investigation. If approved, everyday residents will be on the hook for costs stemming from his personal political battles.
Perfect federal triennial review
The state-required audit found RCTC compliant with all regulations but issued recommendations to transit operators, from fare studies to maintenance facilities. One commissioner questioned whether basic operational items need audit nudges.
County Transparency and Public Records Practices
Former County Counsel attorney Kimberly Sefiane asked the board to refer the county's public records processes for independent oversight, citing delayed, circular and incomplete productions across multiple 2026 requests and past grand jury findings.
Facility Renaming
Riverside's Park and Recreation Commission just voted to strip the Cesar Chavez name off the local community center and rename it the Eastside Community Center. Now, it's up to the city council to make the final call.
School Board Election
Three candidates are battling for a Riverside Unified school board seat this November, arguing over major issues like test scores and AI in classrooms. If you live in Trustee Area 1, your vote will directly shape the future of local public education.
Lakeview/Nuevo two-lot land split
A 2.5-acre residential property in Lakeview/Nuevo can now be divided into two 1.25-acre lots, keeping the existing house and second unit on the new parcels. It's a routine rural subdivision consistent with the area's low-density zoning.
Solar glare management near March Air Reserve Base runways
Solar carports near an active military runway can create glare for pilots. The Air Force reviewed the glare study and the project must use anti-reflective coatings or textured glass to cut reflections.
Truck parking facility near March Air Reserve Base
A 304,572-square-foot warehouse plus restaurant and retail buildings on 16 acres at Perris Boulevard and Ramona Expressway sits in accident potential zones near the March runway. The Air Force reviewed it and agreed it meets safety intensity limits, clearing the way for the project to move ahead at the city level.
Wild burro attacks in Reche Canyon
Residents reported 15 coordinated attacks on wild burros, including a donkey found beheaded the morning of the meeting, and asked the county for law enforcement help in the Badlands area.
I-10/Highland Springs Interchange Extension
A second TUMF amendment extends the I-10/Highland Springs interchange project timeline to the end of 2036, with funding capped at $5.5 million.
Transit needs public hearing results
Riders told the county what they need: more buses, more frequency, new regional connections, and better stops with shade and seating. The comments now shape what transit operators plan for the future.
FY 2026-27 LAFCO Budget and Agency Share Increase
LAFCO's proposed budget is about $1.7 million, up only $24,000 from this year, with the share paid by the county, cities and special districts rising 6.7% instead of a projected 17%. A new local government analyst position is planned for the second quarter as workload grows and the executive officer prepares to retire.
Proposed child care special district (AB 2083)
A bill to create a Moreno Valley Parish child care special district has improved through amendments but still falls short on LAFCO process, according to staff and CalLAFCO, which continues to oppose it. LAFCO's legislative committee will review the bill before any position is taken.
Pro-housing designation pursuit
Riverside County is applying for the state's Prohousing Designation, worth extra points and priority in state housing grants. It requires trade-offs — streamlined approvals, fewer hearings, flexible parking — that commissioners flagged as things residents will notice.
Code enforcement grand jury response
The county formally answered the civil grand jury's critical report on code enforcement, disputing claims of retaliation and favoritism while promising an updated policy manual by January 2027 and acknowledging turnover and communication gaps.
County successor agency bond refinancing savings
The county's 2025 bonds refinanced older debt, saving $11.6 million over the life of the bonds. The new debt service line item required a separate vote on the annual payment schedule.
Youth Advisory Council community service
All five district councils reported hundreds of volunteer hours and initiatives ranging from park cleanups and clothing drives to mental health resources and college-readiness webinars. Their goals will roll into an annual report to the Board of Supervisors in June 2026.
Indian Wells tax allocation bond refunding
Indian Wells wants to refinance part of its 2015 and 2016 redevelopment bonds to save about $1.9 million in debt service. The savings mostly go to school districts and the county, not the city itself.
Regional veterinary school feasibility study
The county will spend $125,000 — matched by UC Riverside — to study creating a regional veterinary school, aiming to ease a severe veterinarian shortage that drives up pet care costs and strains animal services.
Palm Desert Sheriff's Station expansion funding
The Board authorized $17.8 million — mostly development impact fees plus Palm Desert RDA funds — for the Sheriff's Palm Desert Station expansion.
I-10/Monroe Street interchange and I-215/Ethanac Road projects
The Board advanced two major interchange projects: authorizing bids for the $126 million I-10/Monroe Street interchange in Indio, and approving agreements with Perris, Caltrans, and Mark Thomas & Company for the I-215/Ethanac Road interchange environmental phase.
Sole-source contract for PACE legal services
The committee approved keeping Best Best & Krieger on as PACE legal counsel through 2031 without competitive bidding, after two prior RFPs drew no real competition. One member pushed back on the fairness of the process.
TUMF Reimbursement for Nuevo Road Widening
The committee authorized up to $500,000 in TUMF reimbursement to the County of Riverside for planning the Nuevo Road widening — money that helps get a key east-west corridor project moving.
SR-79 Realignment renamed San Jacinto Valley Expressway
The committee declined to immediately rename the future 12-mile county expressway the "San Jacinto Valley Expressway," sending the choice back out for one more round of public input after concerns that only 12% of respondents backed the name.
Anza area power outages
A resident reported 22 outages in three years, 18 unannounced, leaving wells without water during fire season, and asked the board to investigate Anza Electric and Southern California Edison.
Rural agricultural crime protection
The Farm Bureau says the rural ag crime task force was disbanded, leaving farmers exposed to equipment and crop theft; the chair noted the sheriff made the staffing cut, not the board.
Fentanyl awareness campaign
Supervisors Spiegel and Washington are spending $64,260 in opioid settlement money on a year-long fentanyl awareness ad campaign.
Body-worn camera contract expansion
The Sheriff's Office is spending $18.2 million more to replace and upgrade about 2,086 body cameras, adding translation features and better evidence sharing with prosecutors.
Verizon wireless tower on church property in Woodcrest
A disguised mono-pine cell tower will go up on church-owned land near Van Buren Boulevard, improving Verizon coverage in the area. The church, which leases the site, celebrated the approval after a multi-year process.
Children's recreational activity center in Temescal Canyon area
Two brothers who have run a Corona gymnastics business for 20 years lost their leased space and will build their own 3,584-square-foot facility for kids ages 3-7 on Magnolia Avenue. Classes will be capped at five students per hour-long session.
Community Workforce Agreements for County Public Works
Supervisors Gutierrez and Medina advanced a policy to use community workforce agreements on county construction projects. Union supporters say it keeps tax dollars local and creates apprenticeship pathways; non-union contractors say it excludes their state-approved apprentices and raises costs. Staff will return in 90 days with a framework.
Transformative Climate Communities Funding for Eastern Coachella Valley
The county will apply for up to $27.5 million in state grants for community-designed projects in Mecca and North Shore — solar readiness, transportation improvements, and a community resilience center. Supervisor Perez pushed for the benefits to reach Thermal, Coachella and Thousand Palms too.
State of Good Repair funding for local transit operators
About $5.18 million in state State of Good Repair funds is being allocated to Riverside County transit operators for capital, maintenance, and rehabilitation projects.
New policy for helping cities deliver their own projects
RCTC formalized how it takes on project delivery work for cities and other agencies — each project gets its own cooperative agreement and the partner reimburses all costs, keeping it cost-neutral for RCTC.
Seventh-cycle housing element update
The county is starting its next eight-year housing element, re-evaluating a roughly 40,000-unit regional housing obligation, and pursuing the state's Pro Housing designation to boost competitiveness for affordable housing grants.
Truck tire repair shop near Blythe
A new 60-by-80-foot truck tire repair shop was approved next to an existing Valero gas station near Blythe, with a three-parcel land split. It adds truck services along the I-10 corridor with new curb, gutter, and sidewalk on Mesa Drive.
Fencing conflict between City of Perris design standards and airport safety
The self-storage building near Palm Springs Airport still needs an FAA letter confirming it's no hazard to air navigation — the ALUC won't release its approval until then.
Desert Hills Premium Outlets expansion
Simon Premium Outlets wants to add nearly 48,000 square feet of retail, connect the east and west wings, and add 283 parking spaces at the Cabazon mall. The Morongo Band of Mission Indians just learned of the project and asked for time; the hearing continues July 22.
Highway 74 commercial center and alcohol license
A previously approved Lake Elsinore-area gas station and convenience store got the green light to sell beer, wine and spirits off-site after rezoning from Manufacturing-Service Commercial to Scenic Highway Commercial. No public opposition was filed.
Summer land acquisitions expand the conservation reserve
The Oswit Land Trust is preserving 177 acres of the last major mesquite habitat in the Coachella Valley, with plans for a desert tortoise recovery center and education center on a full 640-acre section.
AB 2307 traffic signal synchronization legislation
Murrieta's representative announced that local electeds and WRCOG will testify in Sacramento on April 13 for AB 2307, aimed at synchronizing efforts to ease Southwest Riverside County traffic congestion.